


wake me up in the morning

by steviesbucks



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Morning, F/M, Jemma Simmons is an angel, Letters to Santa, alya fitz is also an angel, baby fitz is an angel, happy (late) holidays!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28480848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steviesbucks/pseuds/steviesbucks
Summary: the fitzsimmons family + mornings
Relationships: Alya Fitz & Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. when the snow falls slowly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silentfive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentfive/gifts).



> Hello! Happy holidays to my lovely giftee silentfive/antoine-triplett! I really hope you enjoy this because I had a great time writing it, even when life might've got the better of me sometimes, whoops. I did plan to do more but I hope this is a good gift all the same! Have a wonderful rest of the week and I hope you enjoy. May 2021 bring new, greater things <3

_ ‘Dear Santa,  _ _  
_ _ I am writing this letter so I can tell you about what I would like for Christmas this year. I’m not sure that Santa exists but if you do, please know I’m very sorry and I shouldn’t have doubted how real you are. I would really, really like a book on eigenvalues if you can find one. They’re troubling me and it’s very frustrating. My parents are very smart but they don’t know how to teach me eigenvalues so I need a book to try and teach myself, please. I would also like a better telescope. The one I have at the moment still works alright so if I get a new one for Christmas, I can donate it to somebody else or give it to a charity shop. I want to get a new telescope so I can see stars that are even further away than the ones now- maybe I will even find some new stars.  _

_ I think to be safe I should ask you for some more safety goggles. I keep managing to break mine so I promise if I get more goggles for Christmas I will keep them very very safe and also very neat in a special place with the rest of my science equipment. There isn’t much I really want for Christmas because I’m very lucky and got lots and lots of lovely things from my mum and dad for my birthday. I think I’d also like some new storybooks because I’ve read a lot of mine and I would like some new stories to read for Christmas. Maybe ones with lots of animals and smart girls like me. It’s very annoying that the boys always get to be the astronauts in books and the girls have to be princesses because it’s stupid and not fair. Mummy says I shouldn’t say things are stupid but I’m sure you agree that it’s stupid, Santa.  _

_ I think dad wants a puppy but puppies are very loud and may make a mess and/or hurt my ears so I want to get a frog instead. If I can get a frog, I’m going to name it Ada after Ada Lovelace who was a mathematician. I read all about her in a book at the library and she was very intelligent. I think that’s it for my list. I would appreciate it if you could get me these things but I will be happy even if I don’t get them because I got lots of nice presents for my birthday.  _

_ Merry Christmas, Santa!  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ \- Jemma Simmons, Age 7 (and 3 months)’ _

Jemma’s father lifted her carefully up to give her letter to the worker at the post office, the two of them grinning as her father started passing through gifts to post out to the family members they wouldn’t get to see in person. Jem helped pass him the smaller things from the burlap sack he had taken in, happy to be helpful. They were going to finish shopping for her mother once they were finished and the little girl rocked up onto her tiptoes at the thought of going past the bookstore in the shopping centre.    
  
“Dad?”    
  
“Yeah, poppet?”    
  
“Can we go into the bookshop when we go get mum’s presents? Please, please, please?”    
  
“We can bob in,” he assured, “but we can’t get anything. You don’t know what Santa’s going to bring you yet and you wouldn’t want to get doubles.” 

“If I  _ did _ get two of the same book, I would just give one to somebody else!” 

The little girl smiled as her father ruffled her hair, leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of her head. “That’s very kind of you, darling.”    
  
As Jemma continued to rock back and forth on her feet, wiggling her gloved fingers, she thought that this Christmas would be a very good one indeed. 


	2. when the house is still

_ ‘To Santa _

_ I want my ma to get something very special this year for Christmas. I think she’d be happy with some fluffy slippers, maybe ones that have faces on like bunnies or bears or monkeys. I really really like monkeys so maybe if I got some stuff with monkeys on that would be nice but I’d rather mum got her fluffy slippers.  _

_ I want to move house too. Our house is a bit small and it always smells like mucky beer and I think there might be some damp growing maybe. If we could have a house with a big garden that would be really nice and if my ma could have a big nice kitchen she could do all the baking she wants to do all the time. She’s really good at baking and I think we’re going to leave you a cookie because I really really really really want some gingerbread and I’ve been very very good this year. The one thing I really want for Christmas is to be able to go to the railway museum with ma and maybe da if he wants to come too. I know that it’s lots of money but I’ve really wanted to go for ages and ages and ages and it’s the only thing I really really want to ask you for (apart from the slippers for ma and maybe a new house)  _

_ If I get to go to the railway museum or we get to move house I promise that I’ll be so good and try really really hard at school because I know that’s very important. I won’t ask for anything at all until next Christmas and I’ll be the best behaved boy ever in the history of all the universe. I won’t wriggle around in my seat too much or be fussy with my food and I’ll try start sleeping with the nightlight off. I’ll be the best best best best best if you please think about giving us one of those things for Christmas.  _

_ Thank you Santa and please have a Merry Christmas and please feed the reindeer lots of snacks so they don’t start eating the presents.  _

_ Leopold Fitz’  _

A bit of paper had been ripped off of the bottom of the letter by the time it ended up in the postbox by the shops, on its way to Santa. He’d held hands with Lorna Fitz the entire way down on their journey to get some bread and milk, his mitten-covered hands swinging her arm between the two of them as he bounced along the street, chatting away about all the things he’d be learning next term when he was back at school. 

The paper scrap had been shoved under Leo’s mattress for safekeeping where nobody else could see it. He didn’t want to make anybody upset or ruin Christmas- he had a good feeling about this one. As he curled up in bed, head pillowed carefully on top of his hands, the paper was forgotten. He was pulled into dreams of trains and monkeys and warm gingerbread and the note was left behind. 

_ ‘PS: Santa, please can you make my da have a nice Christmas this year? He’s been upset and angry lately and ma said it wasn’t my fault but I think maybe it is and I don’t want him to make Christmas bad for her too because ma works very very hard so I can have my clean school uniform and so I can have a nice warm winter coat. I really really want everything to be nice this Christmas so please please please let my da be in a very good mood and maybe not fall over and get angry this year. Thank you again Santa.’  _


	3. and when you are safe in my arms

Jemma didn’t have an alarm set for this morning. She knew her daughter and husband would tell her when they were both too excited to wait any longer, so she had turned it off. 

The one day a year that Jemma allowed herself to sleep in was Christmas Day. Ever since she was a child, her parents had done the same. A set schedule every day of the year apart from that day on which they’d sleep in as long as they wanted- in reality, it was as long as she was willing to wait for them to open her presents. Despite turning her alarm off, Jemma found herself laying awake in bed at seven, only a half an hour sleep in from her usual schedule. The bed was empty, however; Fitz must already be awake.

Fitz was the polar opposite to Jemma when it came to sleeping. He loved his sleep, always trying to convince Jemma that they could both stay in bed for half an hour longer, never wanting to ‘face the cruel world of cold’, as he had once dramatically proclaimed. On Christmas Day, however, he was bustling around at the crack of dawn, excited and giddy. He was especially thrilled this year with it being their first Christmas in a proper house with Alya; they’d all gone shopping for a tree and decorations together, stringing lights and tinsel everywhere around the house. They’d made things for their daughter during their time in space and picked up little decorative pieces where they could but now they had a real home they could make their own, they were determined to go all out. 

The sound of a very distinctive giggle cut through Jemma’s thoughts. She smiled as she climbed out of bed, slipping her feet into her blue slippers and grabbing her dressing gown from the hook. She tied the thick belt around her waist and left the bedroom, getting halfway down the stairs before she paused, listening to her family speaking in hushed voices below her. 

_ “Alright, monkey, what do we have to do when Mummy comes downstairs?”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “We tell her Merry Christmas, Daddy.”  _ Jemma’s heart melted at how serious her daughter sounded and she could imagine the determined look on her face. 

Her smile widened into a grin as she slowly made her way down the last few stairs, hearing Fitz gently shush Alya, probably in an attempt to surprise her. She made her way into the kitchen and was greeted by the smiling faces of her family. 

_ “Merry Christmas!”  _ The two of them chorused, Alya barrelling into her mum’s legs to hug her. 

Jemma reached down to scoop her little girl up, kissing her head as she squeezed her. “Thank you, sweet girl! Merry Christmas to you too. Have you looked at the presents Santa brought you yet?”    


“I was helping Daddy make the Christmas pancakes!” 

“Christmas pancakes, wow! Have you already had some?”    
  
The youngest member of the family nodded, wriggling in her mother’s arms. Jemma put her down and she made her way back around to clamber up onto a seat next to the breakfast table. “We’ve both had one each, it’s your turn now!”    
  
“You have another one if you’re still hungry, I’m going to have some tea first.” She took a step closer to her husband, pressing a soft kiss to his lips as he turned his attention from the pan to her. “Merry Christmas, Fitz.”    
  
“Merry Christmas, Jemma,” he replied, pressing a kiss to both her cheeks and then her nose. “I think Santa left you some presents under the tree too.” 

She raised her eyebrows, leaning against the counter. “I thought  _ Santa _ said we weren’t getting presents this year so he had more… elf power to make things for Alya?”    
  
“Santa had a very special elf helping him, I suppose. Tiny, blonde, cheeky… sound like anybody we know?” He was pointedly not looking at his daughter giggling at the table as he flipped the pancake. 

Jemma tutted, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Good thing Santa left a few things for you in our room.” She squeezed his arm before going to fill the kettle, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard. “Want a drink, Fitz?” 

“Please, Jem- Thanks.” 

She dropped teabags in both of their cups and added the sugar- one for her, three for Fitz- and moved to grab the milk from the fridge to add to their mugs. She hummed to a Christmas song as she waited for the kettle to finish boiling. 

“Can I have some juice?”    
  
“Mhm, let me just get a cup for you.” Jemma reached up to try grab a plastic cup, grumbling as her fingers couldn’t quite reach the shelf they were on. Just before she tried the ‘jump and grab’ method, Fitz was behind her, warm body pressed comfortingly against her back as he grabbed the blue cup. She spun around where she was standing, looking up at her husband suspiciously. “Did you put that up there on purpose?” 

“Me? Do something like that? Never.” His claim of innocence was undone by his arms looping around her waist, hand resting on her back. 

She shook her head at his antics, leaning up a tad to press a kiss to his nose. “Cheeky. Come on, a certain little monkey wants some juice.”    
  
“You can wait for juice while Daddy gives Mum a Christmas hug, can’t you, Alya?”

The little girl hummed her agreement through a mouthful of pancake and Fitz grinned smugly, tightening his arms around his wife. “See? Told you she could wait.”    
  
Jemma pressed her lips softly against Fitz’s, happy to absently sway in the kitchen with him, tea forgotten for the moment. She thought, as she often did these days, how lucky she was. Their little family was safe, happy and had somewhere to call their own. She pulled back slowly from the kiss, resting her hand on her husband’s chest. The steady beat of his heart under her hand reminded her that all of this, all the dreams she never knew she had, were real. She was really standing here, wrapped in the arms of somebody she’d loved before she even really knew what loving somebody meant. 

“Something on your mind, love?” 

“Just how lucky I am,” she mused, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. 

“How lucky  _ we _ are,” he amended, squeezing her hand, “because me and Alya are so lucky to have you here with us as the best wife and best mum in the world. In the whole universe, even.” 

“Lay off it, you sop!” Jemma was only teasing, of course, and her heart felt full to bursting at the honesty dripping from his words. “Let me finish making our tea and then I might have a pancake.” 

“You best eat something, Christmas is a busy day and you know what my mum’ll be like if she finds out I’ve left you to  _ starve _ .” Fitz’s arms left their place around her and she frowned at the loss, even if she’d asked him to move. He stepped back towards the pan and Jem poured the water into both of their mugs. She took them both carefully over to the table, putting them down in their respective spots. 

Their table was decorated for the holidays too, tinsel carefully looped around the bonsai tree that resided in the middle no matter what time of year it was. The table still had specks of glitter fused to it after Alya and Fitz’s secret craft project the previous afternoon and Jemma tried to get rid of it with her nail, scoffing when it just ended up attached to her.  _ Bloody glitter, you can’t get rid of the stuff.  _

Alya tugged on her sleeve gently, pulling her from her thoughts. The little girl looked forlornly at her forgotten juice cup on the side, feet kicking under the table. “Can I have my juice now, Mumma?”    
  
“Of course! Sorry, darling, got a little distracted.” She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s blonde hair, smiling at the way it stuck up at all angles like Fitz’s so often did. The next time she came over to the table, it was with a cup of juice and a plate with a pancake on. The pancake was topped with banana and syrup; Jemma usually just opted for a healthy cereal or some fruit for breakfast but she had to indulge herself on Christmas Day. 

The first bite was heavenly. She voiced her praises loudly once she’d swallowed her first mouthful, happy to see a smile on Fitz’s face as he realised she was pleased with her Christmas breakfast. He eventually joined the two at the table with a stack of three more pancakes, one more for each of them. Sipping his tea, he squeezed Jemma’s hand over the table, pulling a face at their daughter as her kicking legs caught his knee. 

The presents came soon after breakfast finished, Fitz on the floor next to Alya while Jemma perched on the edge of the sofa in the sitting room. The presents had spilled out from under the tree, decorating a lot more of the room than the small corner they’d dedicated for gifts when the two of them had first started buying things for their daughter. The gifts under the tree weren’t all from them, some of the neatly wrapped boxes being from the rest of the old team. Jemma and Fitz had gifts from the team too; they’d decided to open them in the evening instead. As far as they were concerned, Alya’s first Christmas on Earth should be all about her for as long as she was awake. There was something suspiciously round balanced in the armchair from Mack, a huge box-shape that was delivered  _ by van _ from Coulson (and May, probably) by the TV unit and a box with dozens of ribbons and bows plastered on from Daisy and Sousa. 

Jemma knew what that present was and the thought of it made her smile. They’d managed to find her a modified telescope- it was advanced, so you could see stars further away and more clearly than any that they’d have been able to find on Earth. Jemma was around the same age as her daughter when she received her first telescope all those years ago, not too soon before her spinal surgery, so she could take a better look at the stars. With the telescope Daisy and Daniel had given her, Alya would most likely be able to see her namesake, shining in the sky, strong and steady, much like the little girl herself. 

Jemma loved Alya more than life itself. She watched her daughter carefully unfold the wrapping paper, dragging her little fingers under the folds where the tape was. She didn’t like tearing the paper and something hurt in Jemma’s heart to know it was probably watching her mother reusing everything they had like precious gems that had made her that way. But then her daughter gasped in delight, wiggling around on her seat on the floor as she unwrapped a boxed cuddly toy, squealing about how it was like the fish she saw on telly, and any sadness or regret she had was wiped away. Those years on the Zephyr might not have been the best environment to raise a young girl in but Alya was amazing despite it all. She’d never be anything less than wonderful and brilliant and perfect in Jemma’s eyes. 

“That’s a very special toy from Santa. You draw on it with the pens in the pack and when you’re done, you can put it in the washing machine and start over again,” Fitz explained, smiling as their daughter wrapped him up in a hug. He was obviously overjoyed, bouncing her up and down as he put the wrapping paper into a bin bag. “Now you can design your fish exactly how you want. When it’s absolutely perfect, we’ll put him in the middle of the fireplace.” 

“I need to write Santa a  _ big _ thank you note,” Alya said, beaming up at Jemma with a smile brighter than the sun itself. 

She picked up her mug from where it was resting on the floor, taking a sip of her tea. As nice as it was to spoil Alya and Fitz with gifts, to watch them light up in exactly the same way, Jemma knew that the day would’ve been just as amazing if they had no presents at all. Their family, together, happy and safe. That was the greatest gift of all, cheesy as it sounded. Fitz’s mum would be coming round later in the day and they’d have dinner together and it would be wonderful. When the rest of the team were awake in their time zones, Jemma planned to call them and thank them for all the wonderful presents. It was going to be a busy day, yes, but she’d never want it any other way. 

She let herself sink further into the sofa, hand absently toying with her dressing gown belt. As her thoughts turned to the card hidden in her drawer upstairs, a picture of a positive pregnancy test on the front, she knew that every Christmas after this would be just as magical. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! I really hope you enjoyed your gift, Jessie, and that anybody else who might've read this enjoyed it as well! A huge thanks to my [hazzarat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazzarat) and [showzen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/showzen) who took time out of their busy schedules to beta this for me! Have a very wonderful new year, everybody <3


End file.
